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It’s Official: Bass Pro Shops Buys Cabela’s

Fox business reports that the merger of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s (CAB) has received the go-ahead from antitrust regulators. In a filing with the SEC, Cabela’s said Wednesday the Federal Trade Commission informed the company earlier this week that it concluded its investigation of Bass Pro’s $4.2 billion buyout. Cabela’s shareholders will vote on the deal July 11. The transaction is expected to close later this summer.

We all knew this was coming… So now, what does it mean for your favorite outdoor company and store, which for readers of BIG DEER is definitely Cabela’s?

There will be changes, anytime a sale goes through that happens. But I believe Bass Pro’s Johnny Morris, who said last year, ““We look forward to continuing to celebrate and grow the Cabela’s brand alongside Bass Pro Shops…as one unified outdoor family.

“I have enormous admiration for Cabela’s and the remarkable brand and business they have built. Cabela’s is a great American success story.”

As of now, the plan is to keep the Cabela’s headquarters in Sidney, Nebraska, and it is business as usual for all Bass Pro and Cabela’s stores. Bass Pro Shops has some 99 stores and employs about 20,000 people. Cabela’s has 19,000 employees and 85 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

A little bird in the industry told me that the new strategic plan is to build upon the incredibly strong hunting brand and market that Cabela’s has built, while their fishing and boat presence will be contracted. Bass Pro Shops will still have a hunting presence, but will carry on and continue to grow with its massive fishing and boating business.

4 thoughts on “It’s Official: Bass Pro Shops Buys Cabela’s”

Like most mergers, takeovers, buyouts….I would imagine that BassPro will assure Cabelas customers and store level employees that “nothing will change” or “we’re going to grow the Cabelas brand”…

But over time, there will be management changes, operational changes and store closures that will lead to layoffs for the store level and operational employees, while many in upper level Cabelas management will likely get buy outs that will be quite handsome.

As far as customers go, most will not notice any real changes for the first year or two. Then there will likely be inventory changes, fewer employees on the sales floor and stores that close due to “market overlap” and “lackluster performance” as BassPro has to pay for this deal.

Frankly, this doesn’t affect me. I think that although both stores have lots of cool stuff, I think they just charge too much for the merchandise. Guns and ammo are much more expensive than small businesses. To plug my favorite place I’ll have to say Academy usually beats them both.

This is my Favorite store besides mine, but they have been a mainstay and hope Bass Pro Shops stays with the plane to keep both going and building them, rather then changing the Cabela’s stores. they obviously have their Niche and hope they both can continue going forward the way they are. I will continue to support both as I have in the past.